Suggs Steps Back From Bounty Comments
26/10/2008 05:21
Owings Mills, MD (Sports Network) - Baltimore Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs issued a statement Friday in which he clarified comments he made on a radio show about "bounties" being set for hits on two Pittsburgh Steelers players.
Suggs, in an appearance on a syndicated radio show based out of Atlanta on October 17, said that bounties were out on Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward and running back Rashard Mendenhall during Baltimore's 23-20 overtime loss to Pittsburgh on September 29. Mendenhall suffered a season-ending shoulder injury in the game on a hit by Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis.
Bounties -- money awarded for hits on certain players -- are banned by the NFL, and the league said it has been investigating Suggs' comments. Suggs did his best to backtrack from his bounty comments with the statement released Friday.
"We, the players, don't pay each other to take another player out of the game. And you know coaches don't do that," Suggs said.
"As I said before, we prepare to stop the other team's best players every week. Those are the players who can beat you with big plays. For example, we've focused all this week on stopping the Raiders' running backs. We've focused on them in practice and in meetings. They are marked men by our defense -- we have to know where they are on every play, and we can't let them get rolling on Sunday.
"When I did the radio show in Atlanta, that's what I meant and I thought that's what I said. I did repeat the word bounty early in the interview after the guy asking me the question used the word. That was a mistake. I misspoke, and I'm sorry for that.
"I hope that clears this up."
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
There’s no place for “bounties” anywhere in sport, but Suggs just “misspoke,” folks. I’m glad he cleared that up and, if you believe his story, I’ve got some prime real estate you might be interested in buying in Florida! There must be something about having the first name "Terrell."